Kratkaja Istorija Duxonvyx Missij v Kitae, (c. 1915-16)

English trans. by Nina Tkachuk Dimas

Haimen

This site is located near the mouth of the Yangtze river; the Orthodox there live in the Tongzhou district and in the villages of Huitongzhen (汇通镇) and Sanyangzhen (三阳镇). In April of 1905, the bishop heading the mission, together with clergy and a choir, visited Haimen at Pascha and conducted a service in the home of Mark Wang, in the village of Sanyangzhen. While buying a plot of land and opening a district was already being considered, no final decision was made; meanwhile the number of those wishing to accept the Orthodox faith was growing. In 1909, a school was opened in Haimen; where Efrem Sheng was the teacher. The cathechist was Mark Wang, who at the time also preached in his home, and his wife spread the Orthodox faith among Chinese women. In 1912, Christianity found a fertile ground in the village of Huitongzhen, where the local Orthodox resident, Iosif Yuan, preached the word of God to the residents of his village. About two hundred people in all were baptized in Haimen.